Journalist and
spiritual seeker Philip Yancey has always struggled with the most basic
questions of the Christian faith. The question he tackles in What Good Is
God? concerns the practical value of belief in God. His search for the
answer to this question took him to some amazing settings around the world:
Mumbai, India, when the firing started during the terrorist attacks; at the
motel where Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, on the Virginia Tech
campus soon after the massacre, an AA convention, and even to a conference for
women in prostitution. At each of the ten places he visited, his preparation
for the visit and exactly what he said to the people he met each provided
evidence that faith really does work when what we believe is severely tested.
What Good Is God? tells the story of Philip’s journey,the background, the
preparation, the presentations themselves.

Here is a story of
grace for armchair travelers, spiritual seekers, and those in desperate need of
assurance that their faith really matters.

Download and start listening now!

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Quotes & Awards

I love Philip Yancey's work. He is a brilliant, graceful writer.Anne Lamott

Few are better than Yancey in providing answers that can soothe a faith that's almost been shattered.Charles R. Swindoll

There is no writer in the evangelical world that I admire and appreciate more.Billy Graham

“Few are better than Yancey in providing answers
that can soothe a faith that’s almost been shattered.”

Charles R. Swindoll, author of The Grace Awakening

“Somehow, redemption shines through in all of these
encounters, and faith in God and humanity emerges intact, if a little bruised.
The author truly believes that God can be found in the lives of ordinary people
all over the world, and his compelling stories may just convince others, too.”

Publishers Weekly

“The journeys here recounted are those of an extraordinary
pilgrim…Yancey refuses to reduce his message to simply a call for improving
this world. Drawing on the work of C. S. Lewis, he affirms his ultimate
allegiance to a God whose eternal dominion transcends all things earthly. A
bracing witness, challenging both religious complacency and secular skepticism.”

Booklist (starred review)

Listener Opinions

Kelsey | 2/13/2014

" Insightful book. The format is interesting, two chapters per section, one with background information on the location and the other with Yancey's speech that he delivered there. He doesn't explicitly state the answer the to title's question: What good is God? Rather, he lets the situations speak for themselves, showing rather than telling, an answer. And the answers are not definite, not cut-and-dry if that is what you are looking for. The reader must do some digging of their own and offer up some of their faith to bridge the gap and speculate the more definite answer, the one people long for, to the guiding question. Overall, I quite enjoyed it. I never found myself struggling to stay entertained or enlightened and I will likely keep an eye out for Yancey's other works. "

Stephanie de la Houssaye | 2/10/2014

" It was a good history lesson combined with growing your faith. It was a very interesting book. "

Tamara Blair | 1/27/2014

" A very well done book asking and answering (hopefully) question about faith and life. At once personal,global and universal and never 'preachy'. "

Rod Buchanan | 1/26/2014

" Great stories of triumph in very difficult places. Yancey has a wonderful way with words and expression. The stories are spell-binding and you begin to realize in a deeper way how important God is (and his people are) in the mix of world events. "

Wendy C | 1/11/2014

" Good book...the speeches he made on each topic are well worth the cost of the book... "

Greg Coates | 1/9/2014

" Profoundly inspiring stories. I love the way this man thinks!!! "

Kath | 1/4/2014

" My favourite Yancy book so far. 10 different chapters with 10 real scenarios where Christianity has made a tangible and positive difference. I find Yancy an inspiring, intelligent, sensitive and honest writer. "

Sean | 1/4/2014

" 10 experiences shared. Can be quite hard to follow if not concentrating. Prefer his previous books like disappointment with God. "

Catherine | 1/3/2014

" This is the last book I borrowed from my Dad before he died. I've had it a while so I need to give it back to Mum so she can have a read. The one subject in the history of the world that does not grow old in the discussing. Grace. "

Joni | 12/17/2013

" An awesome read with edge of your seat accounts of real faith and grace in action around the world. It renews the readers faith and gives one hope about the future of the Christian church in a secular world. "

Daniel Butcher | 12/5/2013

" In this book Yancey introduces ten speeches he delivered and reproduces them for his readers. Overall the chapters explore familiar Yancey topics; grace and God's presence when we are in pain. Overall this book is a nice collection but not in depth as his books on grace, god or pain. "

Wong | 11/29/2013

" An unusual structure for the book, this being a collection of speeches and talks that the author did over the course of his career. Yancey's writing is as heartfelt and illuminating as ever. "

Mark | 4/13/2013

" Thoughtful essays & speeches on grace & God in the midst of difficult circumstances. I was especially moved by his interactions with the students at Virginia Tech and the citizens of Mumbai, India. "

Patrick Kelley | 2/21/2013

" Yancey's books are always a challenge. He speaks to the hard questions. This format he uses doesn't give the depth some of his books do but still leaves me feeling touched by grace. "

Margaret | 7/16/2012

" I listened to the author read this while I was exercising. I was quite taken with his look at recent tragedies and how God shows up at such times through amazing people. It was well worth reading or listening to. "

John | 6/29/2012

" This is a GREAT book!!! You get to see through Yancey's eyes where God is in the most unlikely places. I like the chapters on CS Lewis, AA, and Virginia Tech shooting. "

Mary | 8/18/2011

" I will definitely return to this book as I walk the Christian path. Highly recommended for those who want to understand how God's love and grace are present in dire situations. "

Julie | 5/4/2011

" Awesome, but beyond giving background, he would have done better to give more time to the people actually telling their stories (from all around the world). If I read it again I'd focus on those chapters.
"

Robert | 4/9/2011

" Too much from speeches made it choppy reading; and not as organized around what God is God as I think it would be if written as a new and stand alone book.
"

Stephanie | 2/21/2011

" It was a good history lesson combined with growing your faith. It was a very interesting book.
"

Rr | 2/19/2011

" Some very good stuff. It is a collection of Lectures prefaced by chapters on his notes on why/what/who the lectures were for.

Some recycled material. A bit uneven, kinder to his past, but classic Phillip Yancey. Definitely worth the reading for me.
"

Daniel | 2/3/2011

" In this book Yancey introduces ten speeches he delivered and reproduces them for his readers. Overall the chapters explore familiar Yancey topics; grace and God's presence when we are in pain. Overall this book is a nice collection but not in depth as his books on grace, god or pain.
"

Rod | 1/30/2011

" Great stories of triumph in very difficult places. Yancey has a wonderful way with words and expression. The stories are spell-binding and you begin to realize in a deeper way how important God is (and his people are) in the mix of world events.
"

Other Titles by Philip Yancey:

About the Author

Philip Yancey worked for ten years as an editor and then publisher for Campus Life magazine. In 1980 he and his wife Janet moved to Chicago where he began a career as a freelance writer. They moved to Colorado in 1992. He is the author of 20 books, three of them coauthored with Dr. Paul Brand. He is grateful to be able to make a living writing about the questions that interest him.

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